It is well known to encapsulate components within a die mold cavity by rigidly affixing the components to or through the walls of the cavity. It some cases it is also desirable to avoid the visibility of fixing or holding devices at the surface of the molded item by providing retractable holding devices which retract either out of the molding cavity or into the molded product while the molding material is “setting up.” Such devices and techniques, however, often do not hold the encapsulated component sufficiently taut and in a precisely defined position. In some applications, for example, the molded components must maintain precise positions relative to other molded components or with respect to the exterior surfaces of the molded item. Additionally, some known techniques involve the use of retractable locator pins to hold wires and/or cables in fixed positions during molding processes, leaving behind holes in the molded item upon their retraction which can reduce the integrity of the molded item.
The problem of precisely positioning components within a die mold cavity can be further complicated by two additional factors. If the component to be encapsulated is not rigid, holding it taut and in a fixed position becomes much more difficult. Additionally, the size and shape of the molded item may be such that very little clearance exists for positioning the molded components away from the interior surfaces of the die mold (and thus the exterior surfaces of the molded item). If the components are not precisely and firmly positioned in the interior of the molding cavity, some of the components may be visible at or even extend through the exterior surfaces of the molded item. Such component breakout may be grounds for rejecting the product. In the specific case of wires and/or cables, without properly and sufficiently maintaining the wires and/or cables in fixed positions, they often will float or shift during the molding process which may result in the wires and/or cables being visible at the exterior surfaces of the molded item.
Additionally, typical molding processes often produce molded items which are difficult to mount because the processes have provided no suitable mechanism to mount the items.
There is therefore a need for a retainer for an overmolded electrical circuit. The present disclosure is directed toward devices and methods which meet these needs.